Jesse Minter isn’t worried about Lamar Jackson’s absence from Ravens’ OTAs

The Baltimore Ravens are beginning a new era for the franchise, as Jesse Minter takes over as head coach after nearly 20 years of seeing John Harbaugh in that role. Once again, the team’s hopes will revolve around Lamar Jackson, who, despite being absent from this week’s OTAs, did not raise any concern from the new head coach.

“Lamar has been one of the leaders of the offseason program. A couple things going on yesterday and today. I do expect him to be back soon. We’ve had some great conversations. [I] know when he’s going to be back, and I’ll probably leave that between me and Lamar,” Minter said during his press conference.

The lack of clarity surrounding the quarterback’s absence created quite a bit of uncertainty. However, there was also no indication of a potential injury to the signal-caller, which certainly would not have been a positive development for the team.

The Ravens fell short of reaching the playoffs last season, and they have taken matters into their own hands to change the course of the franchise. Despite having one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, the organization continues to place its trust in Jackson to finally deliver the long-awaited Super Bowl title.

Jesse Minter’s options in the QB room

Under new head coach Jesse Minter, the Baltimore Ravens are currently carrying an unusually crowded five-man quarterback room, anchored by superstar Lamar Jackson and locked-in veteran backup Tyler Huntley. With depth charting tightly behind the top two, the real battle lies at the bottom of the roster, where Skylar Thompson, acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers, undrafted Heisman finalist Diego Pavia, and Joe Fagnano are competing for a depth spot.

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Carrying five quarterbacks through the summer is highly impractical for practice reps, meaning at least two of them will certainly be cut before the regular season, with the survivors likely fighting for a single No. 3 spot on the practice squad.

New Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter

First challenges for the Ravens

The Ravens will wrap up their offseason with OTAs on June 1, 2, and 4, followed by Mandatory Minicamp on June 9–10, before rookies report to Training Camp in mid-July and veterans arrive on July 21.

From there, Baltimore transitions straight into a demanding opening stretch of the regular season, starting with a road opener at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 13 (Week 1), followed by their home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 20 (Week 2), and culminating in a historic international matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 27 (Week 3).